Sandal.



R. WEIDT.

SANDAL. APPLICATION FILED 1 313.27, 1912.

Patented Feb. 24, 11914.

Brennan WEIDT, or VIENNA,'AUSTBIA-HUNGARY.

a SANDAL.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Application filed February 27, 1912. Serial No. 680,172.

vented certain new and useful Improve ments in Sandals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Although footwear for bathing and agricultural purposes has been madehitherto of widely diflerent materials and in the most variedconstructions, it has not been found satisfactory for the said purposes,because exposure to water or to alternate moisture and sun causes suchfootwear to lose its shape and firmness so that it soon becomes useless,apart from the fact that such footwear occupies a great deal of time toput on and take ofiT.

Now this invention has for its object to provide an improved sandalwhich shall not only be permanently resistant to water and atmosphericchanges, butshall also be cheap and easy to put on and take off.

The improved sandal comprises a .sole

hollowed out at its upper surface so as to form an open-topped cavityapproximately to the horizontal contour of the foot, with a peripheralrim of corresponding horizontal contour. This sole is preferably made ofwood and is provided with suitable means for attachment to the foot. Inorder to allow of an elastic action of the foot in walking with therigid sole, and yet of eflecting secure attachment of the sole to thefoot, two bands or the like are provided one behind the other on thesole, the rear band being located near the heel and the front band beingarranged to afford an elastic connection overthe instep.

One construction of sandal according to this invention, is illustratedby way of example in the accompanying drawings in which p Figure l is alongitudinal section on the line A"A of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan, and

Fig; 3 is a cross section Fig. 2. e I

As shown the improved sandal consists of a sole 1 shaped to thehorizontal contour of i the foot, composed of tough Wood or other strongngaterial proof against the action of water, moisture and the heat ofthe sun. It may be composed for instance of superposed thin plates ofwood suitably connected t0- on the line of gether, for instance byscrews; or it may be composed of papier-mach, cork, cork composition orthe like. This sole is hollowed out on its upper surface to thehorizontal contour of the foot so asto form an opentopped cavity 2surrounded by a peripheral mm 3 for the reception of the foot. Thiscavity is preferably shaped to the anatomical form of the right and leftsoles of the human feet respectively.

The improved sandal thus differs from the well known wooden shoe worn bypeasants in Europe and the clog-like shoe consisting solely ofv a woodensole and a leather vamp by the feature that as in an ordinary sandal,the foot is entirely uncovered as to its upper surface whereby theaccumulation of dirt etc. between the vamp and the front part of thefoot is prevented, complete freedom of movement is given to the toes,and there is no risk of pinching or rubbing the toes or fore part of thefoot.

The improved sandal is furnished with front and rear means of attachmentto the foot of simple, durable and hygienic nature, for which lastreason they do not contain any metal parts. i i

The sole isprovided below the recess near its front end and at the rearnear the heel and also at an intermediate point with transverseperforations 4, 5 and 6. A band 7 drawn through the foremost perforation4 is crossed at 8 over the cavity 2 and its two ends 7, 7 are assed inopposite directions through the intermediate perforation 5. One end 7 isattached or knotted to a rubber ring 12 through which the other end isdrawn. 7

"A strong rubber connector 9 is drawn through the rear perforation 6 soas to form a projecting loop 10 at each end to which there is knotted orotherwise attached a band 11. In this manner there are provided twomeans of attachment whereby the sandal can be securely attached at thefore part of the foot and at the instep so that the foot is preventedfrom slipping either forward orbackward, while the sandal cannot falloff the foot and an elastic action of the foot in walking is renderedpossible.

The manner of attaching the improved sandal to the foot is as follows:The foot 'is inserted in the cavity 2 so that its forepart comes underthe crossed bands at 8 and the instep under the rubber ring 12.

Then the bands 7 are passed around the back of the ankle and fastened infront. The rear bands 11 are crossed over the instep and fastened aroundthe ankle at the back or it may be in front. .This manner of attachmentallows of an'elastic action (if the foot in Walking notwithstanding therigid sole, because the two means of attachment provide an elasticconnection between the sole and the foot in the neighborhood of the heeland at the instep which, however, it is to be understood may be eflectedin a different way from that herein described.

The herein described arrangement may be modified by passing the rearbands 11 through the rubber ring 12 and then fastening them withoutcrossing them over the instep. Further both the front bands 7 may havetheir ends (which may now be shorter) fastened to the rubber ring 12 sothat only the rear bands 11 are drawn through the said ring and arefastened above the ankle without crossing over the instep.

The improved sandal is designed primarily as a bathing sandal for use instreams, rivers, lakes or at the seaside, whereby the user is not onlyprotected against injury but is also afforded a firm footing, with theadditional advantage that when the sole is made of buoyant material suchas wood, the

walking and swimming movements of the user are facilitated.

The improved sandal can be put on and off easily and quickly. Its greatdurability and easy maintenance in a clean confor which ordinaryfootwear is unsuitable for economical or hygienic reasons.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and. desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a sandal the combination of a rigidsole with a transverse perforation through the heel portion of saidsole, an elastic tension member passed through said perforation withprojecting looped ends, and flexible bands attached to said looped ends,as set forth.

2. In a sandal the combination of a rigid sole with two transverseperforations, one behind the other through the front portion of saidsole, a flexible band passed through the foremost perforation, crossedover the front portion of said sole, and then passed through therearmost perforation in opposite directions, and a rubber ring locatedover the instep to which one end of said flexible bandis attached, andthrough which the other end of said flexible band is passed, as setforth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD VVEIDT.

.Witnesses:

ALBIN SCHILLER, AUGUST FUGGER.

